Skylar finally takes my hand and gets shakily to her feet, sobbing her apology over and over, but I don’t hear it.
I don’t hear much of anything other than the beating of my heart in my ears and that’s more than enough for me.
I yank her close to me, look into her shame-filled eyes and mutter a simple command. “Get your fucking clothes on.”
She moves as quickly as she can, the sin that Casey tried to implant in her sliding down her thigh and I crack my neck.
When I look into the corner of the room and let my eyes focus, I see Cleo—naked, crying, and afraid.
A small smile curves the edge of my lips as I walk over to where she’s standing and hold a hand out to her.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, little sister. I’ll protect you just like I always did,” I tell her in a soft tone I don’t recognize.
But she does.
I can see it in her eyes, and as she throws herself into my arms and I hold her close, I turn my eyes toward Bryden who’s watching the entire scene unfold with a cautious look on his face.
“We’re going home now, Cleo. You, me, and Skylar. Together—just like Dad would want us to be.”
Twenty-Seven
Bryden
Watching Cleo, my Cleo, hugging Richter after his little outburst has my blood pressure rising. I really thought he’d learned his lesson, or at least a lesson, last night… but it seems he hasn’t.
Disappointing.
The room is chaotic, and it’s not the normal chaos of my home. No, this is anger and sadness and panic—and it’s getting under my skin.
Richter is mumbling something, telling Cleo more bullshit lies, and everyone is too loud. I fucking hate hearing the girls cry. It grates my nerves. Cleo’s is quieter, muffled against Richter’s shirt, but Skylar’s is loud, hiccupping, and so clearly filled with terror that I know exactly what she expects to happen if I let him take her.
Worse, Sierra won’t stop whining.
“Cleo! You can’t go!” Sierra shouts, her voice an irritating keen. Starting to cry herself, she tugs at her sister’s arm. “Please, Cleo!”
“Daddy—” Casey starts to speak, but I raise a hand and he stops. Sierra goes quiet too, looking at me desperately, and I take a slow breath.
Stay calm. No one has left yet.
“Why don’t you speak up, Richter?” Watching him, I can’t help but feel a smile spread over my lips because he nudges Cleo behind him with a hand on her rounded belly. She’s mine whether he thinks so or not. She carries my child, and that’s something he can’t deny.
“We’re leaving.”
“You are?” I ask, laughing a little as I rub my hand over the scruff on my chin.
“What’s so funny?” Richter snaps.
“I can see that Cleo remembers you and Skylar, and I’m relieved that you’ve reconnected… but if you think I’m going to let you take them home in an unsafe vehicle”—I shrug, spreading my arms a little—“I’m afraid you’re confused.”
“You can’t keep her here. Cleo wants to come home with me,” he argues.
“I can see that, and as always I want all of my children to be happy, but—”
“She’s not your child! She’s not yours at all! You’re not her Daddy. She had a dad, my dad, and you’re not him. I don’t give a fuck who raised you, or how we’re related, she belongs with me!”
Maintaining the smile isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. The rage is simmering down deep, keeping my head clear, letting me think through my options, and even though the simplest solution would be to slit his throat and throw his traitorous body out the back door into the snow… it wouldn’t bring me the results I want.
“What do you mean he’s not my Daddy?” Cleo asks, and Richter smiles as he turns to talk to her, but I speak first.
“No matter what, Cleo is carrying my child, and I care about all of you being safe on the drive home.”
“You’re going to let them come with me?” he asks, and I can see the disbelief on his face.
“Daddy, no!” Sierra whines, tears rolling down her cheeks. “He can’t take Cleo! He—”
“Be quiet, Sierra,” I command, and she shuts her mouth like a good girl, even though she’s still sniffling loudly. Looking back at Richter, I smile again. “Family needs to be with family, and I’m happy to help make that happen. However, we’re going to need to take care of your tires before you go.”
“The tires will be fine,” he replies through clenched teeth, but I just laugh a little, shaking my head.
“No, they won’t, and you know it too. You really want to put your sisters in jeopardy? You want to risk Cleo losing her baby because you dislike me so much?” The questions hover in the air, and I can see him turning over his options, trying to figure out a way out of this, but I know I haven’t left him one. “It’s barely dawn, Richter. Let the girls shower, eat some breakfast, and Cleo will be all packed up before we get back.”
“Get back from where?” he asks, glaring at me with all the hate I know he feels for me.
“Town,” I answer, pushing off the exhaustion I feel, because this is much more important. “I’m friends with one of the mechanics and I know he’ll give us a good deal on some new tires. Won’t take long at all.”
“I’m not leaving them here,” Richter growls, but I laugh again.
“And what do you think is going to happen to them?” I ask, grinning when his face flushes with anger, his glare turning on Skylar as she buttons her jeans.
“Think you can keep your legs closed while I get the tires, Skylar?” Every word is dipped in venom, and her eyes go wide as she nods at him.
“I’m sorry, Richter. I am. I’m s-so sorry,” she babbles, but he lets out
